The New York Knicks suffered an ugly defeat to the Brooklyn Nets and most fingers are pointing to Carmelo Anthony's ankle as the reason why. The star rolled his ankle on a ref and was deemed out for the game as the team lacked rhythm because of it. Nearly everyone struggled in the defeat and now New York must hope that Anthony can get back in time for weekend games.
According to the New York Daily News, Anthony is hopeful that he can play Saturday against Memphis. However, Anthony also said that his ankle is still really bothering him and has yet to really improve. That does not offer up much hope that he can get back on the court quickly which means the offense could continue to struggle. The absence of Anthony shows just how important he is to the team as players like Arron Afflalo and Kristaps Porzingis looked lost without the veteran. Head coach Derek Fisher admits that chemistry with Anthony is a big part of the team's offense. Without it the Knicks struggle.
"As guys are getting more comfortable on the floor with Carmelo in the lineup, as well as when he's out, guys are understanding what opportunities are out there for them on both ends of the floor, to make plays, to make winning plays," Fisher said, via the New York Daily News. "More guys are doing that. We don't want to make a steady diet out of playing without Carmelo on the floor, but all teams kind of go through this at some point and we have to respond to it."
Without Anthony, players like Afflalo and Jose Calderon could simply not handle the scoring responsibility. While Afflalo has been improving since the turn of the new year, Calderon continues to take hits. To make matters worse for the point guard, Jerian Grant is starting to show what he can do and might end up being favored to start. According to the New York Post, Phil Jackson is a big fan of the rookie along with Anthony and that could go a long way when deciding future rotations.
"I definitely hope so,'' Grant said, via the Post. "To get the minutes I got tonight and perform, hopefully it gives the coaches and my teammates confidence that I can do it again. I've been working and to finally get this chance means a lot.''
The rise of players like Grant and Afflalo could mean the Knicks hold off on trades. The team has been linked to players that could offer backcourt help, but if they do not have to make a trade, they will not. According to Ian Begley, the best move could be bringing back Jimmer Fredette from the D-League who continues to improve. They could sign him to a 10-day contract and try that experiment rather than giving up players and draft picks.